In this proposed research program, the genetic character of preinvasive and invasive neoplasms of the female genital tract is determined by quantitating the nuclear DNA content by means of Feulgen microspectrophotometry. Ploidy patterns (euploidy, polyploidy and aneuploidy), modal values of stem-cell lines and cell cycle kinetics are analyzed based on their nuclear DNA distribution and correlated with their clinicopathologic features in an attempt to better define the biologic behavior and prognosis of these lesions. The results of current work indicate that vulvar intraepithelial squamous neoplasms tend to have high ploidy stem cells (DNA modal values greater than triploid), while invasive vulvar squamous carcinomas and carcinomas-in-situ associated with invasive carcinomas have predominantly low ploidy stem cells (less than triploid). Invasive vulvar squamous carcinomas of comparable depth of invasion and size having low ploidy stem cells are more likely to metastasize than those having high ploidy stem cells. Endocervical cancers with high ploidy stem cells have a significantly worse prognosis than those with low ploidy stem cells. In managing the patients with gynecologic cancers, both the nuclear DNA and morphologic changes should be taken into consideration.